The Martin Luther King Jr. Black Student Resource Center and Women’s Resource Center co-hosted a pop-up block party on Wednesday in the Acorn Amphitheater. The event fostered community among students through free Chick-fil-a and pizza, a live DJ from KSSU and tabling by campus centers.

In preparation for Sacramento State’s Black Excellence Night and the first home FBS game against Mississippi Valley State University, a historically Black university, the block party amped up school spirit for the weekend.

Brandon Kennedy, an assistant program coordinator, spring 2025 cohort liaison and academic advisor for the Black Honors College, represented the Black Honors College during the block party.

While tabling, Kennedy spoke about the unity and excitement among students for the block party and tailgate this past weekend.

“I would definitely say, being an HBCU graduate, and coming back and working here at Sacramento State brings joy to my heart,” Kennedy said.

 

Students dance and mingle with one another at the pop-up event Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. With a live DJ from KSSU on campus, the event had gathered groups of peers dancing together. (Photo by Brianna Lira)

With a lively environment and open space for socializing, many students used the time to walk around and talk to each other.

Ayominakun Oyeyemi, President of the National Society of Black Engineers, found the event to be a place where he could connect with other students.

“It provides a space for Black students in the university to just meet up or even just have a study room or just hang out,” Oyeyemi said. “It really helps to bolster the sense of community on campus.”

 

Students wait in line to receive free food offered at the pop-up event Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Booths offered free Chick-fil-a for the first 200 students, and free pizza for the rest of attendees. (Photo by Brianna Lira)

Students also appreciated the emphasis on raising awareness of on-campus resources, supporting students of all backgrounds and identities.

“Definitely for the black students, I feel like it’s a really good event to have community,” said Summer Harrison, a junior majoring in biology with a concentration in cell and molecular science.

Harrison found the combination of students and organizations to be valuable to the experience of the event.

“One, it’s like a get together where we can all talk, get to know each other, especially for the freshmen and transfers, and while at the same time being informational with having the women’s center, Black Honors College and other centers here to promote other resources that they have on campus,” Harrison said.

The importance of being informed of on-campus resources shows to be crucial to forming a solid community among students at Sac State, providing students with a place to go.

“A lot of people that are coming to Sac State are Black students and I want them to be able to have a safe place, where they can go if they are feeling any type of excitement or discouragement,” Keli Kwetambo, a third year biological sciences major said. “[If] they need help with anything, they can always look to the MLK Jr. Center.”

Organizers wanted the block party to combine the fun of the event with raising awareness to the centers and their resources.

“I feel that when events bring multiple colleges and groups on campus together, it builds community,” Naomi Thrower, member of the inaugural cohort of the Black Honors College and student assistant for the dean’s office said. ”It’s fostering connections that you may not normally.”

The MLK Jr. Black Student Resource Center, Women’s Resource Center (WRC), along with the Black Honors College had representatives of the centers present and speaking with students. The centers used tabling to engage one-on-one with students to introduce the kind of assistance they offer on campus.

“The MLK Center and Women’s Resource Center, are both student success centers here for the students on campus,” Thrower said, “But, if they don’t know about them they won’t know the resources available to them.”

Nataly Andrade-Dominquez, program coordinator for the WRC, spent the event engaging with students and advocating for the centers.

“Unfortunately, a lot of students may only learn more about the centers at a later time or a time where they’re in crisis,” Andrade-Dominquez said, “So, what we want to make apparent to students is that these centers exist before times of crisis or times of need or just wanting to build community.”

 

The Women’s Resource Center tables at the pop-up event Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. The center is helping students learn more about the center and similar resources on campus. (Photo by Brianna Lira)

As the block party continued through the early afternoon, the attendance grew adding to the excitement. With the start of the school year, club rush and an influx of new students, events like the Black Excellence Block Party are crucial for students to connect with each other and their campus resources.

“What’s important is, it gives students a space to be themselves,” Elijah Martin, director of the MLK Jr. Black Student Resource Center, “a space to have fun and build community.”

Additional reporting conducted by Alex Grado.